57 BAMBOS ARUNDINACEA. 
then bending gently to one side, piped, jointed, undivided, 
but with innumerable, very ramous, alternate, winding, two- 
faced, spreading, branches. 
Thorns double or triple, alternate, on the joints of the branches and 
branchlets; when double, a branchlet occupies the centre; 
when triple, the largest thorn stands there; they are remark- 
ably strong, sharp, and somewhat recurvate; sometimes they 
are wanting, particularly in a very rich moist soil. 
Leaves sheathing, two-faced, most short-petioled, linear-lanced, 
upper side and margins backwardly hispid, broad at the base, 
fine pointed; from two to six inches long, and half or three 
quarters of an inch broad; but in the rich moist soil on the 
banks of the Ganges, they are from two to four inches broad, 
and about a foot long. Sheaths somewhat downy, with a few 
short, bent filaments, on each side of the mouth. 
Inflorescence. When in flower, the tree is generally destitute of 
leaves; and, as the extremity of every ramification is covered 
with flowers, the whole seems one entire, immense panicle, 
composed of innumerable, somewhat verticill’d spikes; each 
verticil is composed of several two-ranked, oblong, pointed, 
sessile, rigid, spikelets. 
Calyx common, calycled, from two to six-flower’d, two or three- 
valved: (aa) valvelets equal, oblong, concave, smooth, and of 
a firm texture, scales round the base, (4) small, oval, number 
uncertain; they are also often common to several minute ste- 
rile spikelets. 
FHermaphrodite Flowers one, two, or three, below the male. 
Calyx no other than the above described.. 
Corol two-valved: the exterior valvelet rather the shortest, oblong, 
pointed, smooth, cartilaginous; inner valvelet oblong, margins 
inflected, concave behind, and fringed with hairs round the 
elevated margins of the posterior concavity. 
Nectary: three inverse ege’d scales embrace the insertions of thie 
stamens and germ. 
Filaments six, inserted round the base of the germ. 
Anthers linear, incumbent. 
Germ oval. 
Style single. 
Stigma two-cleft: divisions plumose. 
Seed (c) firmly closed in the corol, is very like oats, and about the 
same size. 
Male Flowers from one to three, above the hermaphrodite. 
Calyx none. 
Corol, Nectary, and Stamens, as in the hermaphrodite. 
Pistil none. 
It delights in a rich moist soil, such as the banks of rivulets and 
lakes, among the mountains. 
It is unnecessary to mention the various purposes to which this 
most useful plant is applied in India, as they are already generally 
known. 
Tabasheer or tabaxir of the Moors, Arabians, and Turks; Vedroo 
Paloo (milk of bamboo) of the Telingas; and Mungil Upoo (salt of 
bamboo) of the Tamuls; the substance so well described by Dr. 
Patrick Russell, in Vol. Ixxx. of the Philosophical Transactions of 
London, is found in the cavities of the joints of this sort. 
The Tamul physicians pretend that the root is a diluent; that the 
bark cures eruptions; and that the camphire, or salt (tabasheer) 
cures all paralytic complaints, as well as flatulencies, and poisons. 
The leaves are esteemed a powerful emmenagogue; an opinion 
held also by the Chinese. 
The seed is used for food, in the manner of rice. 
5S 
80. BAMBOS STRICTA. 
Male, or solid Bamboo. 
Sadanapa Vedroo of the Telingas. 
Stems fewer, straighter, and smaller, than in the common sort, other- 
wise they are the same. 
Thorns oftener wanting. 
Inflorescence the same as in B. arundinacea. Vert¢cils sessile, glo- 
bular, very dense, surrounding entirely the branchlet. Spikelets 
of the verticil crowded, two-ranked, kc. as in B. arundinacea. 
Calyx as in the last, except that the scales are longer, and common 
to two or three spikelets; here the flowers are generally all 
hermaphrodite, and seldom more than. three to the calyx. 
Corol two-valved: exterior valvelet downy, with a very sharp dag- 
gerd point; inner valve as in B. arundinacea. I could not 
perceive any nectary. 
Stamens six. 
Pistil woolly. 
Stigma two-cleft, thread-form. 
Seed as in the last. 
This is evidently a distinct species. It grows in drier situations, 
is not near so large, has a much smaller cavity, and is very straight. 
Its great strength, solidity, and straightness, render it much fitter 
for a variety of uses than the common sort; and it is particularly 
employed by the natives to make shafts to their spears. 
81. APONOGETON MON OSTACHYON. 
Linn. suppl. 214. Thunb. nov. gen. plant. 4. p.73. 
Namma is the Telinga name of the plant, and Namma Dumpa 
the root. 
Root tuberous, perennial. 
Leaves radical, long-petioled, linear-oblong, at the base hearted, 
pointed, entire, smooth, three-five-nerved; from three to six 
inches long, and about one broad. 
Scape as long as the leaves, a little striated, perforated by many 
pores, lengthways. 
Spike elegantly winding, closely surrounded with flowers. 
Bractes, Calyx or Corol, two wedge-form concave petals, inserted at 
the base of the two fissures between the inferior and two su- 
perior germs; permanent. 
Stamens always six, shorter than the bractes. 
Anthers blue, 
Germs three, surrounded by the stamens. 
Capsules three, pointed with the remaining style, smooth, one-cell’d, 
four- to eight-seeded. 
Seeds oblong, inserted into the base of the capsule. 
There is a variety, if not a distinct species, with hedge-hog’d 
two-seeded capsules, but in all other respects the same. 
It is a native of shallow, standing, sweet water. Appears and 
flowers during the rains. 
The natives are fond of the roots, which are nearly as good as 
potatoes. 
